The assignee of the present invention manufactures and deploys spacecraft for, inter alia, communications and broadcast services. Such spacecraft may be required to survive an extended life (10 years or more) in a space environment that includes significant exposure to potentially damaging radiation to material and electronics, and charging in space that can lead to discharge.
Because such spacecraft include electronic components that are susceptible to radiation damage, various radiation shielding schemes such as, for example, described in EP1120795, owned by the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated into the present application in its entirety, have been developed.
Shielding techniques affording lower mass and reduced cost are desirable.